Today I was packing up a decade old daily companion for a trip back to its makers for a refresh.
This had me thinking about my pocket knives, and other tools that I carry every day. There has been a knife in my pocket since I was about 12 years old. They are one of those things that you will use throughout the day every day if you have one with you. Having carried a huge variety, vintage, new, folding, fixed, cheap and expensive I have formed my own set of biases. There is a place for cheap knives, in general though you get what you pay for, and if you are going to use it every day why not have something well made that will last you decades or more? Really with a budget of a nickel a day and planning for a decade you end up with about $180 to spend. I have thought about bringing knives into the online shop, but held off. There has been a trend towards all manner of “camping” gear entering the bikeosphere, us included. I try to bring things that a different and better in some way than what most people in the cycling or fashion community may be familiar with. As cool as French pocket knives and Swedish axes can be, there are plenty of other fantastic options out there.
So, is there any interest out there in knives that I believe offer a better solution for the cyclotourist? Tools that bring everyday function to the occasional camper maximizing versatility for the weight? The term curator is overused these days, but I could help you cut to the chase and pick tools that I have personally used and put to the test over the years.
So what is in my pocket while the William Henry is out? This is the knife that is usually riding in my Docena, Bark River Pro Scalpel (first production for the collector nerds)
